One mum has sparked an online debate after asking is it ever okay to leave your children in the car on their own.
She asked fellow parents on Mumsnet, “What age would you leave your children alone for a short amount of time?”
Some parents will leave their kids in the car if they just need to grab a carton of milk or the daily newspaper, but others would never dream of it.
The mum explained that some people said she was foolish for leaving her kids alone in the car.
“Today I left my nine-year-old and seven-year-old in the car alone for about 15 minutes,” she shared.
The mum made sure that the car wouldn’t overheat whilst she was gone: “Windows down, in the shade and mild day. Is this really irresponsible?”
She added: “Car wasn’t hot at all on my return, yet some people think I’m stupid for doing this.”
Mums were quick to express their opinions, with many agreeing that the mum was being careless.
“Seven is far too young. I would say nine probably is too. It's never fair to expect children to be 'in charge' of other children too,” one said.
Another mum agreed that it was a bad idea: “Nope never. Mine like to fiddle with buttons and things and would probably start honking the horn when they discover that.”
“I'd be concerned if I saw children left alone in a car. You may have genuinely concerned people alerting store security or police,” one mum explained.
However, other mums admitted that they have also left their kids in the car when popping into the shops.
“I leave my eight and six-year-olds all the time while I pop into the shops and I have been doing it for quite some time,” one shared.
Another revealed: “Mine are seven. I leave them in the car if I am popping into a shop for 5 minutes and shock horror leave them in the car at the petrol station.”
Is it okay to leave your kids in the car if you’re just running into the shops for a few minutes?
